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Gardeners' Notes:

A beautiful plant, with fine-textured foliage and lemon yellow flowers all summer. Like the species, it requires good drainage---better in sandy or loamy soils than clay.

This cultivar differs from the species in the lighter, softer color of the flowers. It is also sterile, which is why it continues to bloom for so long without deadheading. I do find that some light cutting back in August if blooming slacks off can help it rebloom more strongly in September.

'Moonbeam' tends to be short-lived unless you divide it every couple of years. Unlike the other cultivars, which can be aggressive in the garden, 'Moonbeam' tends to fade away where a neighboring perennial spreads into it. I suspect that those gardeners who find 'Moonbeam' to be aggressive have mislabeled plants. My only complaint about this plant is that it's a bit of a wimp. Not as vigorous as the species or other cultivars.

I love this plant - but it very rarely comes back the following summer in my garden. It did the first few years, but then stopped. And since then - I keep buying new plants every summer and starting over. I am in zone 7 - Baltimore-Washington corridor. What am I doing wrong?

This is the 3rd time I've tried growing this plant. Each year it has not come back. This year it came back and had a 3 foot spread. Bloomed all summer long. Very striking with Max Frei geranium or blue belladonna delphinium.

What a great perennial! Mine has really fluorished in it's second year. Low maintenance, and flowers non-stop. Mine are in full/part sun. Hasn't spread at all for me, which is what I wanted, and retains it's delicate-looking globe form all summer. I just love the pale lemon color and dainty leaves.
Quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite plants.

This is a wonderful plant to have in any garden. It's tough, drought-tolerant, can handle humidity pretty well and can handle alot of sun. At dusk, the flowers seem to glow due to their pale yellow color. I moved one of my plants this year, and still have a wonderful flush of flowers. It's pretty low care so it's a plant to have if you really don't like to spend alot of time in the garden on those hot and humid days.

This plant spreads almost infinitely. We have to cut it back every year because it's only allotted a small spot! But it's another Old Faithful - a reliable prolific bloomer. If you like yellow, go for it - in fact, I'll send you some.

July 2010 OK, our entire yard is accented in yellow now, and I am hating the color. It spread not only by a massive underground root system but by seed. Those ominous ferny fronds, and the obnoxious "cheery" yellow flowers .... grrrr. Let's just say it has escaped cultivation.

This is a tough little plant. I didn't get all my plants in the ground last year, because I didn't have all my flower beds done. Those that didn't go in the ground spent the winter in plastic greenhouse pots, above ground, as protected as could be. Due to some funky weather we had, not all of them made it, but this little guy made it through a very a-typical Adirondack mountain winter.

Zone 5b/Central IL: Excellent perennial! Mine grow profusely in full sun, clay soil. I don't water mine due to the clay soil retaining more moisture. No need for fertilizer or soil ammendments for me. Blooms open around June 1 here, and doesn't stop until September. I sheared some & deadheaded some for 1 season. With shearing, I lost my blooms for a couple weeks. Deadheading didn't make a change. I just leave mine alone, and have heavy blooms all season. Leave foliage on for winter and cut back dead foliage in the spring.

I notice the new growth is more heavy on the north, or most shaded base of the clumps, so I make sure my division placements are such that they will spread to the direction toward the shade. This phenomena happens in all 7 of my clumps. Not invasive. I've divided all times of the season, even in the middle of July when you shouldn't, with no problems. Easy to grow plant. --Gayle

I enjoyed reading the synopsis on the Moonbeam plant. I bought the seeds for this plant from Martha Stewart. I must have watered the seeds too much and only one seed sprouted so much to my impatience I can not wait to see this plant grow and show it's true beauty in full bloom. How long must I wait for it to bloom? Does it bloom the first year or must I wait another year, also how wide and tall does this plant grow? Thank you for so much information on one of my favorite plants and all of the friendly people who are so willing to inform others of their love and knowledge of the plant kingdom.

In zone 5.5/6 this is not a perenial, but more a tender perennial. Does not do as well the second year as the first. Requires constant deadheading. Otherwise, very pretty delicate yellow blooms and fine foliage.